Aligning device



Sept l, 1936- B. A. SCHROEDER 2,053,010

ALIGNING DEVICE Filed April l, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'Y Sept. 1, 1936.a B. A. scHROl-:DER

ALIGNING DEVICE Filed April l, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. l, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,053,010 AIJGNTNG DEVICE Bernard A. Schroeder, Evanston, Ill., assignor to United Autographic Register Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 1, 1935, Serial No. 14,146 14 claims. (ci. zii- 2.6)

This invention relates particularly to an aligning device for a duplicating machine which may also serve as a feeding or tensioning device.

The primary object of the invention is to proi5 vide an extremely simple mechanism which will automatically align strips of stationery provided with register perforations, while the same are being advanced through a duplicating machine such as a typewriter, autographic register, Elliott- Fischer machine, or the like. A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which may operate with the ordinary feed mechanism found on duplicating machines to relieve the pres` sure on the strips while the same are being aligned at their register perforations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will automatically tension the stationery while the same is in writing position on a flat platen.

Heretofore the principle of employing an expansible pin to effect alignment of stationery Patent No. 1,988,195. It has also been proposed to mount expansible pins on the feed wheel of an 55 autographic register. In the present invention the register pins are mounted on a conveyor belt or chain.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a broken side elevational view o a Fig. 2, a similar view showing the pin expanded and the presser device released; Fig. 3, a broken plan view of a conveyor chain with the register pins collapsed; Fig. 4, a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the pin expanded; Fig. 5, a broken longitudinal sectional view of an autographic register by embodying a modified form of the inven- 0 tion; Fig. 6, a broken enlarged elevational view of a portion of the chain and pins shown in Fig. Fig. 7, a broken plan view of the chain shown 5 of a chain having a non-expansible register pin;

and Fig. 9,.a broken elevational view of an expansible link connection which may be used inl a machine of the charactershown in Fig. 5, if desired.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 4, A designates a feed roll orplaten roll of the typewriting machine; B, presser mechanism adapted to cooperate with the roll A to advance the stationery into writing position; C, a sprocket wheel journalled above and in alignment with the drive strips has been disclosed in patents such as Euth typewriter mechanism embodying the invention;

in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 8, a broken elevational view'4 mounted on the roll A, C an idle sprocket wheel ing sprocket wheel C; and D, a conveyor belt or chain equipped with expansible register pins D'.

The platen roll A and presser mechanism B may be of any suitable construction such as is commonly found in standard typewriter ma.- chines. The presser mechanism usually comprises a guide plate I0 which is pivotally supported at I l on the platen carriage l2 and is equipped with presser rolls I3 which are urged against the platen roll by means of springs I4 and I4 acting onA a bell crank lever l5 having an operating arm I6. In the present construction a cam lever l1 is journalled on a rock shaft i8of the platen carriage so as to actuate the arm I6 and release the presser mechanism when the cam lever is engaged by rollers I9 projecting outwardly from the chain D.

The driving sprocket wheel C may be iixed to the platen roll A so that it will turn with the shaft when the latter is rotated by any sultable means. The sprocket wheel C' is journalled on the shaft 2i provided on the platen carriage of the machine as will be readily understood.

The sprocket chain D as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be similar to that used on bicycles, and is shown with outer side links 22, inner links 2 3, and roller members 2i mounted on pivot pins 25. The expansible pins D' are shown in two elements, the element 26 being carried by side links 22 and the element 2l carried by inner links 23.

, Thus it will be understood that when the links are bent by travelling around the sprocket wheels C or C' the pins will be expanded as shown in Fig. 2 and when the chain is straightened out the pins will be collapsed, as shown at the left of Fig. i.

Suitable strips of stationery 28 may be divided into form lengths by lines of weakening 29 and each form length is provided with register perforations 30. The strips may be interleaved with transfer strips (not shown) in the well known manner. The stationery is advanced toward the platen over a rear guide plate 3| where the perforations 3D are engaged by the pins D' and after passing around the platen are stripped from the again. collapsed pins by means of a guide plate 32. As indicated above, the rollers i9 and chain D will cause the presser mechanism to be released while the pins are expanding to align the pei'- iorations as shown in Fig. 2. The Stationen1 will travel around the platen While irnpaled by the expanded pins and will be held in alignment in the typing position at the front of the platen.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, an autographic register easing 33 il equipped with a :isv

front sprocket wheel 34 on a shaft 35 which may be operated by means of a crank 36, and a rear sprocket Wheel 3l on a shaft 38 'journalled in slots 39 provided in the side walls of the register. A compression spring 40 urges the shaft 38 rearwardly to keep the sprocket chain 4i taut. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the sprocket chain comprises blocks 42 and side links 43 pivotally connected by pins 44. In this machine the rear element 45 of the expansible pin extends back oi the front elements 46 mounted on side links 3 so that the pins will expand when the links are straightened out and collapse when turning about the sprocket wheel. The strips of continuous form stationery ,47 are urged into engagement with the expansible-pins by means ofa grooved presser roll 48 as the pins are collapsed on the rear sprocket wheel 31. The stationery is then advanced over a platen 49 and is accessible for writing by means of a skeleton cover 50 provided with a tear-olf edge 5I. With this arrangement both the feeding and aligning operations are acconpllshed by the chain 4|.

If desired, the chain 4I may be equipped with expansible links 52 which will cause `the sets of forms to be stretched between successive sets of pins. This enables the forms to be held in iiat and aligned position, while passing over the platen 49. The links 52 will be in expanded position when straightened out but will be drawn `together by the teeth of the sprocket wheels at each gend of the platen so that the pins will easily and automatically engage the perforations in the stationery.

When the expansible links 52 shown in Figs. 5 and 9 are used, it is not essential that the pins themselves be of the expanding type. As shown in Fig. 8 pins 53 may be mounted entirely on links 54 and when the expansible links 52 are stretched in passing over the platen of the machine, alignment and tensioning will be accomplished through cooperation of successive pins rather than by expansion in a single perforation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in View of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: j

1. An alignment device for strips having register perforations, comprising: a chain provided with an expansible pin having two elements mounted on adjacent` links pivotally connected to each other, said pin being adapted to engage perforations in the strips; and means for rocking one element relative to the other to align said strips.

2. An alignment device for strips having register perforations, comprising: a conveyor-belt; an expansible pin having two elements mounted on saidl belt and adapted to engage said perforations; and means for exing said belt to move one of the elements relative to the other to align the strips.'

' 3. In a duplicating machinean aligning and tensioning device for strips having register perforations at spaced intervals, comprising: a conveyor-belt equipped with longitudinal sets of register pins in spaced relation and adapted to engage register perforations in the strips; and means for increasing the distance between sets of the pins while in engagement with the strips to align and tension the same.

4. A device as speciiied in claim 3, in which the belt is endless. and the means for aligning and tensioning the strips comprises expansible sections in said belt.

5. A device as speciiied in claim 3, in which the belt is in the form of a chain and the aligning and tensioning means comprises expansible connections between the links of said chain.

6. In a duplicating machine, aligning means for stationery strips having register perforations comprising: a pair oi sprocket wheels in alignment an endless sprocket chain mounted on said wheels; and an expansible register pin adapted to engage perforations in the strips comprising two elements mounted separately on adjacent portions of a pair of links in said chain so as to collapse when the links are straightened and to expand when the links are turned about said wheels.

7. In a duplicating machine: a feed roll and presser-means by which stationery strips having register perforations may be advanced into writing position; and aligning means comprising a sprocket wheel mounted on said feed roll, a second sprocket wheel mounted adjacent to the first mentioned sprocket wheel, an endless sprocket chain mounted on said wheels; and an expansible register pin adapted to engage perforations in the strips comprising two elements mounted separately on adjacent portions of a pair of links in said chain so as to collapse when the links are straightened and to expand when the links are turned about said wheels.

8. In a duplicating machine: a feed roll and presser-means by which stationery strips having register perforations may be advanced into writing position; aligning means comprising a sprocket wheel mounted on said feed roll, a second sprocket wheel mounted adjacent to the rst mentioned sprocket wheel, an endless sprocket chain mounted on said wheels; and an expansible register pin adapted to engage perforations in the strips comprising two elements mounted separately on adjacent portions of a. pair of links in said chain so as to collapse when the links are straightened and to expand when the links are turned about said wheels; and means for releasing said presser-means while the register pin is expanding.

9. A device as specied in claim 8,111 which the f' means for releasing the presser-means comprises a lever-mechanism pivotally supporting the presser-means, and means on the sprocket chain for actuating said lever-mechanism.

10. In a duplicating machine having a at platen, feeding an aligning means comprising: a driving sprocket wheel mounted at the front of the platen; a second sprocket wheel mounted near the rear of the platen; an endless sprocket chain mounted on said wheels; register pins mounted on said chain so as to engage perforations in continuous-form stationery led over said platen; and means for expanding said pins over the platen to align the stationery thereon.

11.' A device as specified in claim 10, in which the second sprocket wheel is yieldingly urged away from the driving sprocket wheel to keep the sprocket chain taut.

12. A device as specified in claim 10, in which the second sprocket wheel is yieldingly urged away from the driving sprocket wheel to tension the chain, and the chain has expansible links adapted to be expanded by the tension in said chainsand retracted by the teeth of said sprocket whee 13. An alignment device for strips having reg- 14. A device as specified in claim 13, in which ister perforations, comprising: a belt; and an the belt is in the form of an endless chain with expansibie pin adapted to engage said register the pin elements mounted on adjacent connected perforations, said pin having elements mounted links of the chain with the pin element carried 5 on said belt so that the pin may be collapsed by by one link extending beyond the pin element 5 bending the belt and expanded by straightening Carried by the adjacent link. the same. BERNARD A. SCHROEDER; 

